Travel and Expense Specialist

MELE Associates•Rockville, MD

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

MELE Associates is seeking a Travel & Expense Specialist to manage the day-to-day administration of employee travel and expense activities across multiple federal contracts. This role serves as the primary resource for travel coordination, expense processing, compliance, and reporting while partnering closely with Project Controls, Accounting, Contracts, and employees throughout the organization. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, customer-focused, and experienced supporting travel programs in a government contracting or similarly regulated environment.

Requirements

Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Three or more years of experience in travel administration, expense processing, accounting, project administration, or a related field.
Knowledge of Joint Travel Regulations (JTR), Federal Travel Regulations (FTR)
Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
Excellent customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Outlook, and common travel booking tools

Nice To Haves

Experience with SAP Concur Travel Booking Tool
Familiarity with electronic workflow systems.
Experience supporting federal government contracts.
Knowledge and understanding of Fly America Act compliance

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary point of contact for employee travel and expense support.
Coordinate travel arrangements using Concur while ensuring compliance with company policies, government travel regulations, and contract requirements.
Review, process, and route Travel Authorizations (TAs) and Travel Expense Reports (TERs) for accuracy, completeness, and timely approval.
Verify travel expenses, receipts, per diem, and supporting documentation for compliance with applicable regulations.
Review subcontractor and vendor travel invoices for allowability and contract compliance.
Track travel funding, outstanding expense reports, and travel activity across contracts and task orders.
Research GSA rates, JTR/FTR requirements, and other travel regulations to support compliant travel decisions.
Maintain organized travel records and prepare reports on travel activity, funding, and processing metrics.
Develop and maintain travel procedures, job aids, and training materials while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and standardize processes.
Partner with Accounting, Contracts, Project Controls, and travelers to resolve travel-related questions and issues.